I brought the boys to the pool a couple weeks ago, and I was put in a situation that I had never been in before - at least with the boys.
I have only been to the Heritage pool a couple of times, and it's connected to a rec center mainly for seniors. Therefore, when I go to the pool during the day, especially the early morning hours, I am faced with primarily senior citizens. Even though it's a stereotype - I feel the eyes of the elderly upon me, like I was on their turf, and how dare I bring two toddlers into their area. I think to myself that it's a public pool and I will keep them as calm as I can as to not disturb the peace.
I realize after we step into the pool that I had forgotten to put on Aaron's swim diaper. I know that in the past that has saved me with him, and I didn't want to get in a bind. So I trudge back to the changing room to grab the diaper.
I walked into the main changing room which consists of at least 5 rows of lockers, and no more than one other person in there with me. As I'm changing Aaron into his diaper two older ladies, of larger stature, come bursting into my row of lockers talking and laughing as they come in. Ok - no problem - They must be child lovers since they chose my isle of all the isles to come into, and I was already putting Aaron's bathing suit back on, so I'd be out of the way in only a few seconds.
Quickly everything changes as I overhear the one in the purple floral shirt say to her short friend, "Aren't children not allowed into the changing room...they have a family changing room for the small ones like THOSE!"
I realized quickly that she was directing her conversation towards me, not her friend as she pointed and raised her voice.
She continued, "Do you really want YOUR children to see US naked?"
I now also came to the conclusion that she wanted me to answer HER. So I turned to her, and looked at both of the stout women for a second, and contemplated my answer. At this point I was a little peeved because she was questioning my right of being there. They didn't have to come into the one isle that I was in, and decided that was where they would HAVE to peel their clothes off. Maybe it was the way she was ordering me, it made me feel like I had to cater to them since this was the isle they wanted to use. The few times I had been there I changed in this room, with no problems at all. On top of that the sign on the door did read, "NO CHILDREN OVER 5 YEARS of AGE." Which, both of my children were not. So I was breaking no rules.
I calmed down, thought about it, and said, "You're right, actually, I really don't want them to see YOU naked." Honestly, I don't even want my kids to see me naked!
So I grabbed the stuff out of our locker, and trudged out of the room. The family changing room was actually very nice, since it had a shower, toilet and swim suit drier all to ourselves!
In the end, I was actually thankful for the lady's advise, because I remember going into the swimming pool locker rooms when I was young, and I can't shake the images of the ladies in the locker room just like them. Now I can spare my own children of having that memory too.
